NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT IN WYOMING: FIVE MORE NATRIUM REACTORS BY 2035
Delivering carbon-free, reliable power to the electricity grid and good-paying jobs to Wyoming for decades to come.
Analysts reported on a joint research project between PacifiCorp and TerraPower to assess the feasibility of building five more Natrium reactors by 2035, in addition to a planned reactor in progress in Kemmerer.
The exact location of the reactors is not yet known, however, there is evidence to suggest that it will be Wyoming.
Features of Natrium reactor project
TerraPower is working to advance a Natrium reactor demonstration project at a retiring coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. This advanced energy demonstration project is intended to validate the design, construction, and operational features of the Natrium system, a TerraPower and GE Hitachi technology.
Kemmerer was chosen as the location for the first Natrium project in part because of its proximity to the PacifiCorp coal-fired Naughton Power Plant, which is slated for retirement.
TerraPower and PacifiCorp want to find carbon-free solutions to producing energy while maintaining grid reliability by integrating baseload power with intermittent wind and solar. If the Natrium reactor demonstration goes well, it could be that solution. TerraPower and PacifiCorp want to find carbon-free solutions to producing energy while maintaining grid reliability by integrating baseload power with intermittent wind and solar. Once the reactor is available for commercial use, it will allow the country’s nuclear industry to enrich and fabricate high-assay and low-enriched uranium fuel, as well as to license, build and operate the advanced reactor.
“We have been impressed and humbled by our work with the Kemmerer community and PacifiCorp. We look forward to evaluating new potential sites for Natrium plants that have the same energy expertise and capabilities as our demonstration site,” said TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque in a statement on the study.
Path To Net-Zero
Gary Hoogeveen, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp, said advanced nuclear reactors like the planned Natrium demonstration model in Kemmerer need to be evaluated through the company’s resource planning process and also would need regulatory approval. If the tests are successful, it will enable TerraPower to demonstrate and build an advanced reactor that is expected to become operational within the next seven years.
“It’s an exciting opportunity that advances us down the path to a net-zero energy future,” Hoogeveen said.
Long-lasting decision
Permitting nuclear reactors is an expensive and time-consuming process. Only one new reactor has been commissioned since 1996, according to the Energy Information Administration. In February 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the construction of two new reactors at the Vogtle power plant in Georgia, but so far none of them have been launched. They were the first reactors to receive construction approval in more than 30 years.
The joint study by PacifiCorp and TerraPower will assess the potential for placing reactors near existing natural gas or coal-fired generating plants. These studies will enable PacifiCorp to repurpose existing transmission lines and improve energy efficiency.
Аccording to the company’s official statements, the new storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed, which is equivalent to the energy required to power around 400,000 homes. The energy storage capability allows the plant to integrate with grids that have a high penetration of renewable resources.
It is reported that the companies will engage local communities before any final sites are selected.
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Main sources: Cowboy State Daily, Natrium Power https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/10/28/wyoming-may-be-home-for-up-to-five-more-nuclear-reactors/
